Comment on Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says too many carmakers are copying Tesla
andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 months ago
This is modestly interesting. My brother worked here before they had layoffs about two years ago, and had a generally favorable opinion of the company and leadership.
Fundamentally, while I think RJ seems like a sound businessman and technologist, and I like the company’s taste a bit, I will never be able to reconcile his views with mine. He very openly views cars as computers and software and services that happen to move you around, and I would like it to be a machine over which I have as minimal a relationship as possible with the manufacturer after I acquire the product.
Still, I wish them luck.
That’s a take I haven’t seen before, but I have to agree with it. I was looking forward to my next vehicle being an EV, hoping that would simplify the multitude of problems that I’ve been having with ICE cars (most notably, transmissions).
What are the options now, when both gas and electric cars are more computer than automobile?
Ev conversion. You just get a new motor and batteries, everything else stays the same
I know that this exists, but does anyone have an estimate on the real price? How much a conversion kit costs + how much installation costs - how much you can get from the engine and parts that are removed? With the current cost of even used cars being fairly high, how worth it/reasonable is this really?
I’ve done stupid engine swaps. Unless your vehicle has a kit, no chance you get it done for under 20k. The amount of planning to get shit to fit must be hundreds of hours. If you want to figure out the engineering you’ll get in under 15k probably. I doubt it’ll ever be cost efficient to convert most models.
How much money you’re getting from your parts I guess depends on the car you have.
The costs for the conversion kit also depend on the car and how much performance you want from it. There some companies selling the basic stuff (battery, BMS, inverter, motor) but the you must figure out how to put it, fabricate parts etc. So I’d say it’s a rich people hobby…
There used to be a french start-up that was building a standard conversion kit for the most sold cars, but it disappeared :(
Haha a bike.
I hold out hope, actually, that as the right-to-repair movement continues to grow, eventually repairability and control will become more common consumer interests, in the same way that vehicle safety wasn’t something people thought about when buying a car before the 70s, and now it’s one of the main influences when buying a car.
Once people start caring – and again, I believe this is the direction we’re heading – it will become something manufacturers have to design for.
Saw a post on YT yesterday by a guy who had put 150k on his rivian truck doing real truck shit - towing, hauling stuff. Two years in and he still loves it. It comes with a great warranty.
Whew. I’m glad he’s happy with his purchase. I can’t ever imagine having enough money that I could drop that kind of cash on a toy, no matter how neat I think it looks.
I’ve never looked up the price. Someone should say what they cost for those curious enough to wonder but lazy enough to not look it up. I offer them one vote of approval redeemable nowhere.
They start at $70k. And they are actually still losing money on each sale.
Why would it be considered a toy? Actually asking
It’s largely marketed as a recreation/sport vehicle. It’s for going camping and off-roading.
That isn’t too say that it can’t also get you to and from work, or even be used for constructive uses. But at the price and feature set, I think anyone would agree it’s designed to be a fun luxury first and foremost rather than a practical tool.
JerryrigEverything?
Empricorn@feddit.nl 3 months ago
Yeah, people want inexpensive EVs. Especially with all we now know about how much of our data all manufacturers are selling. Even if the Chinese companies are blocked from selling here, someone will eventually make affordable EVs. Hope companies like Rivian are ready…
bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 3 months ago
Rivian is also firmly planted in the luxury segment, with prices to match their clientele. We need manufacturer(s) to make EVs for us common folk in a price range we can actually afford.
Carrick1973@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Any new automobile manufacturer has to do that initially in order to make enough money to get the manufacturing and supply chain developed enough to create a car for the masses. They start with a lower volume and higher priced car to get the excitement for the product. Once they have that, they are able to start assembling a larger volume at a lower price.
Empricorn@feddit.nl 3 months ago
Uh… Yup. That’s pretty much what I said!